🔅 Painting Your Way Into the Obamas’ Hearts
Africa's Lithium Boom: The Surprising Winner in the Green Energy Race
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Spotlight Stories
Julie Mehretu: Painting Outside the Lines (and Into the Obamas’ Hearts)"
Julie Mehretu: Ethiopian-born, American-made, and now Obama-approved. This abstract expressionist extraordinaire has been turning heads faster than her paintbrush strokes since the '90s. Born in 1970, Mehretu traded the horn of Africa for the US, eventually earning her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 1997.
Mehretu's canvases are like urban jungles meeting tornado alley – a whirlwind of architectural fragments and geometric shapes – and her work has made it to museum walls from MoMA to the Tate Modern.
Mehretu's masterpiece, "Uprising of the Sun," is set to grace the Obama Presidential Center, and if you’re curious to find out why, here’s a peak where Barack himself spills the tea…
Tanzania's Opposition Leader Killed: A Brutal Attack on Democracy
Mohamed Ali Kibao, a senior member of Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema, was kidnapped, beaten, and doused with acid. The 69-year-old was forced off a bus by suspected security agents while traveling from Dar es Salaam to his hometown Tanga.
The news of Kibao's brutal murder has sent shockwaves through Tanzania, with many calling for justice and accountability. Even President Samia Suluhu Hassan couldn't ignore the outrage, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the "brutal acts" and order an investigation.
But this isn't the first time Tanzania's opposition has faced violence and persecution. Just last month, senior Chadema leaders Freeman Mbowe and Tundu Lissu were arrested for attempting to hold a youth rally. And who could forget the artist who was sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly burning an image of President Samia?
Tanzania's democracy is under attack, and the government seems to be reverting to the repressive tactics of the late President John Magufuli. Despite President Samia's promises to restore competitive politics, the increase in arrests of opposition activists is a worrying sign as the 2025 presidential elections loom.
Africa's Lithium Boom: The Surprising Winner in the Green Energy Race
Imagine a world where China and Australia are in a bitter custody battle over lithium, and Africa swoops in like a smooth-talking lawyer, winning the case and walking away with the spoils. Well, folks, that's pretty much what's happening in the green energy politics arena.
Australia, once the go-to source for Chinese firms looking to extract minerals critical to the transition to cleaner forms of power, has grown increasingly reluctant to share its treasure trove. So, what's a lithium-hungry nation to do? Invest in Africa, of course.
Chinese companies have been pouring billions of dollars into developing lithium mines and processing plants across the continent, with a particular focus on Zimbabwe, which currently accounts for more than two-thirds of Africa's output. They're also setting up shop in Nigeria, Mali, and Namibia, because why put all your lithium eggs in one basket?
Thanks to this influx of Chinese investment, Africa is set to make up 11% of the global lithium supply this year, up from almost zero in 2020. And that's just the beginning – analysts predict that Africa's share will rise to more than 14% in the next three years.
Sure, lithium prices have taken a nosedive over the past two years, but don't count this metal out just yet. As global temperatures continue to break records and developed nations face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, the demand for lithium is expected to skyrocket. After all, those electric vehicles and solar power plants aren't going to run on good intentions alone.
While Beijing's swift move to secure Africa's lithium reserves might raise some eyebrows in Western capitals, it's not the first time China has outsmarted its rivals.
In Namibia, Chinese companies snagged the world's second- and sixth-biggest uranium mines from British and Australian investors when prices were low. They also pulled a similar stunt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, gaining control of much of the country's massive copper and cobalt resources.
These Chinese lithium projects are expected to generate tax revenue and create jobs in African nations. Meanwhile, leading producers in Australia and Chile might want to start looking over their shoulders, because Africa is coming for that market share.
Food for Thought
“A person is always thanked after their death.”
— Tswana Proverb